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The problem with pain scales (Rate your pain from 1 to 10)

E

Exterous

Super Moderator
I hurt my back a while back and through the various Dr, PT and spinal injection appointments I keep being asked and keep hearing other people being asked to rate their pain. So many people walk in under their own power but give a 9 or 10 for their current pain rating where 10 is the worst possible pain imaginable.

Believe me - I've had my moments where I stop mid sentence or stride because of the pain. Or it's bad enough I have to lay down wherever I am*. But none of those were 9 or 10. 10 should be 'Can't move and am screaming while someone carries me to a hospital.' not 'Can walk without screaming and under their own power up stairs and into the PT office'. Even when a nurse prompted: "10? 10 would be hit by a truck and you're on the ground missing your legs" "Fine. I guess 9 then."


*Fortunately thats only been at home or in my office. "Hey wife? I'm going to need you to flip the steaks in 2 minutes. My back suddenly decided I should lay down wherever I was so I'll be in the hallway, not moving, if you need anything."
 
1 to 10 pain scales are very problematic, and it's a recognized problem. Individuals really do have vastly different pain tolerances--especially because a lot of what pain "is" can be very mental. Very subjective. You can actually reduce the effects of some pains by convincing yourself that it doesn't exist. I think this is sort of how Versed works? It eliminates your "memory" of the pain, even though you are or were recently experiencing it.

Pain can't be quantitatively measured, because it is a complicated, multi-variable problem. I think physicians are more starting to use situational descriptions along with the 1-10 scale, which is a bit more helpful.
 
med seekers 🙁
i had rotator cuff surgery, all tendons torn, bicep tendon fucked up. frayed but not torn labrum, bone spurs. been a little over three weeks now.
everybody told how bad it would be, omg doom and gloom. i was never above a realistic 4 or so, even when i fell and tore the shit out of it i was able to get up and move soon. maybe a 7 at that moment.
i took oxy for about 3 days straight, then only to sleep, then went to tylenol pm after a week.
i'm totally with you on the pain scale.
 
That'll learn you to move on me. Furniture is heavy. :colbert;

Sorry about the back. PT help? Mine's great as long as I don't pick up heavy crap.

My "10" of 10...crashed the MTB, broke the collar bone (which didn't hurt until later), thought I broke my hip. Couldn't move.
 
skyking said:
med seekers 🙁
i had rotator cuff surgery, all tendons torn, bicep tendon fucked up. frayed but not torn labrum, bone spurs. been a little over three weeks now.
everybody told how bad it would be, omg doom and gloom. i was never above a realistic 4 or so, even when i fell and tore the shit out of it i was able to get up and move soon. maybe a 7 at that moment.
i took oxy for about 3 days straight, then only to sleep, then went to tylenol pm after a week.
i'm totally with you on the pain scale.
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A bit late but Breg cooler.
 
skyking said:
overrated. all that cold therapy slows the healing. my doc and pt didn't even suggest it.
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To each his own. I never had any pain with the bicep tendons, just the hands swollen twice normal. Mom's allergic to just about everything, including pain meds, and it got her through her shoulder surgery. My CSR swore by it with the compound fracture of her ankle.
 
I agree. I think the solution is to move away from the number system and switch to color coded pain. You can have Green for low pain, Yellow for moderate pain, Amber for moderately high, and red for severe pain.
 
We should move to a volume scale.

It hurts a bit when I stand too long.

I could use an aspirin.

Ouch, that's not good.

GIMME MY GODAMN DRUGS!
 
IronWing said:
We should move to a volume scale.

It hurts a bit when I stand too long.

I could use an aspirin.

Ouch, that's not good.

GIMME MY GODAMN DRUGS!
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Don't let me be in charge of that. I like quite. Anything above aspirin level and everyone's getting fentanyl.
 
The problem isn't the pain scale, the problem is the way policy princesses use it in place of common sense. The medical profession is every bit as responsible for the opioid epidemic as drug seekers.
 
The closest I ever got to a "10" was when I passed a kidney stone. Even that was probably just a 9, though, although it felt like like parts of me were going to explode at the time.
 
I've been to 8. Screaming and crying while writhing in bed sucks! If you're at 10, you're unconscious. At 9 you're unable to communicate.
 
highland145 said:
To each his own. I never had any pain with the bicep tendons, just the hands swollen twice normal. Mom's allergic to just about everything, including pain meds, and it got her through her shoulder surgery. My CSR swore by it with the compound fracture of her ankle.
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it has a place for sure, a compound fracture is a swelling shitstorm. being allergic too. but for post op, i moved right along without it.
 
My bawlz in proportion to the lack of attention they get are an extreme degradation to not only my view of valid involvement but worth of existence in this entire cosmos. Whoever created sex in its original format has the most disproportional kind of care structure ever neglected.
 
BD231 said:
My bawlz in proportion to the lack of attention they get are an extreme degradation to not only my view of valid involvement but worth of existence in this entire cosmos. Whoever created sex in its original format has the most disproportional kind of care structure ever neglected.
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Come on over to P&N; you're a born natural.
 
Pain scale is deff a joke. I've had a 10, but I also fractured 2 vertebrate when it happened. I've seriously seen people say 10 and they are talking fine... not possible.
 
Ive broke and cracked my ribs a few times.Pain sacale? fuck knows,although quite painfull.What was more annoying than the pain was even the slightest movement would cause more pain.I could still bench press when i had cracked ribs though.
 
My "10" was crushing my right leg between the knee and ankle, and having the bone puncture through the skin. laying on my back holding my leg horizontal while my foot was hanging down at a right angle, pointed back towards my body. So other stuff I rate as a 7, and get put down below people with sprained ankles in the ER. Everyone's 10 is different.
 
Cuular said:
My "10" was crushing my right leg between the knee and ankle, and having the bone puncture through the skin. laying on my back holding my leg horizontal while my foot was hanging down at a right angle, pointed back towards my body. So other stuff I rate as a 7, and get put down below people with sprained ankles in the ER. Everyone's 10 is different.
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:S how are you now?
 
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